If you happen to work for Healthcare Employer, especially in California, you should read this, if you are not aware of it already. There is a new rule passed, SB 541 and AB 211 which is above the existing HIPAA Privacy Laws that are already in effect. This was signed by the state governor way back in Sep 2008, but this is effective from Jan 1st 2009. There is high probability that the other states to follow the suit soon.

 SB 541 and AB 211 were passed in the wake of high-profile privacy breaches at California hospitals. An analysis of SB 541 by the Senate Health Committee cited a 2008 finding by the California Department of Public Health ("CDPH") that UCLA Medical Center employees had accessed hundreds of patients' medical records without authorization, including the records of celebrities such as Farrah Fawcett, Tom Cruise, and Britney Spears. The CDPH also reported that hospitals commonly use patients' information for fundraising purposes without their express permission. The bills are intended in part to clarify that unauthorized access such as "snooping" or other internal misuse of patient records violates state law.

This accountability includes penalties for violations that make every individual fiscally responsible for.  Penalties up to $25,000 per patient and up to $17,500 per subsequent violation of that patient’s medical information can be assessed.
 
The two new California privacy bills that go into effect January 1, 2009 require health facilities to self report patient privacy breaches to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the patient within five days of detection of the breach or privacy. Any breach of privacy will be reported according to the law and reporting may expose you to individual fines.
 
Unauthorized and unlawful access to privacy includes inappropriate review or viewing of patient information without a direct need for medical diagnosis, treatment, or other lawful use.

For those who works in PeopleSoft may not have direct exposure to the type of information that I have mentioned here, but if you are in managerial position and take care of technology where the patient information is handled, you need to review the security of information one more time with the above mentioned new law in mind.

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